Creating design-minded watches with a little shine to them is stock and trade for Rado. The brand's latest watch though, the True Blaze, adds something new to the mix. Created in partnership with designer Sam Amoia, the True Blaze has a new metallic dial that simulates the appearance of fine diamonds, bringing some serious sparkle. It's definitely not for everyone, but it is worth a closer look.
The True Blaze starts out simply enough. It’s based on the True Automatic, one of Rado’s more popular models that sits at the core of its current collection. The case is 40mm across and 10.5mm thick, and is made of plasma high-tech ceramic, which gives it that unique color and shine. It looks like metal, but it's not. The bracelet is also plasma high-tech ceramic, and it's partially integrated into the case. Unlike the usual True Automatic watches, this one has no date window. Through the back you can see the ETA C07.611 movement, with it gold-colored winding rotor and 80-hour power reserve. This is the same caliber that powers Tissot’s Powermatic 80 watches (with different branding, of course) and it is based on the well-known ETA 2824-2.
This watch is really all about that dial though. If you're familiar with Sam Amoia’s furniture, it will make perfect sense. The American designer is known for working with metal and stone fragments to create detailed textures on otherwise straightforward forms. And that's exactly what he’s done here. The dial might look like it's covered in tiny diamonds, but it's actually a solid piece of metal that's undergone a galvanic treatment to created the finely textured surface. Rado says that this is a new technique developed specifically for this watch. Not wanting to disturb it by adding indexes on top, Amoia and Rado have placed the yellow gold hour markers and signature on the underside of the sapphire crystal, so they actually float over the dial itself.
Watches always look better in the metal than they do in renderings, but this watch in particular is challenging to understand without seeing it first hand. Hopefully we'll have a chance soon to shoot some more photos and get a better sense of exactly how this one looks in person.
The True Blaze is a limited edition of 1,001 pieces, with a price of $2,200. Over the course of the year, Rado will be releasing additional limited editions created in collaboration with notable designers, all based on the True collection. For more, visit Rado online.